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Ride along: Dewey Police Sgt. takes on night shift

Sgt. Cliff Dempsey takes the night shift in Dewey

Leigh Giangreco, DelmarvaNow 9:49 a.m. EDT July 21, 2014

Sgt. Cliff Dempsey patrols Dewey Beach late Thursday night, July 17. “A lot of our night is just driving up and down this 1-mile stretch,” the officer says of Route 1.(Photo: Staff photos by Joe Lamberti)

On an average weeknight, the town of Dewey Beach operates with the precision of a Swiss watch.

After last call at 1 a.m. one recent Thursday, bar patrons began pouring out onto Route 1 and marching north toward the local pizza joints and Greek eateries. In the midst of this organized chaos, Dewey Beach Police Sgt. Cliff Dempsey sat in his car at the intersection of New Orleans Street and Route 1.

As Dempsey scanned the road, a woman walking from the Starboard restaurant waved and yelled with a friendly smile, "Cliff, I'll see you on Aug. 4."

That would be the woman's court date for driving with a suspended license. But by her jovial tone, she holds no animosity toward the police. Dempsey is quick to point out she was more offended that her ticket incorrectly described her as Hispanic, when her heritage is Italian.

It's more common to find Dempsey bantering with some of Dewey's offenders than cuffing them in the clink. In a transient town, he balances strict enforcement with what he calls a "customer service attitude."

"We accept things a little differently," he said. "A lot of people are here to blow off steam."

The department's entire job isn't to lock up people, he explained.

Dempsey would rather help offenders and make them productive citizens. Some of the rowdy co-eds he arrested 14 years ago when he started at the department have returned to the beach with strollers and families in tow.

"You don't walk out with a militant attitude," he said. "You always treat people with respect."­

Outside the Starboard, 27-year-old Seth Bratten approached the police car. The two shook hands like old friends and Dempsey asked how he's doing. Bratten, who spins advertisements for several businesses on Route 1, was hit by a car last recently.­

Before it was cleared out this spring, Bratten lived in the homeless camp near Rehoboth Beach. Dempsey is helping him obtain an identification card, birth certificate and permanent address.

"People talk (trash) about you, but you do your jobs," Bratten said to Dempsey. "You keep it before it gets out of control."

Not everyone is as appreciative of the police department's service as Bratten. Dempsey finds minor offenders, such as parking violators, become more irate than repeat scofflaws. That night, a woman called the station and left a vulgar message for the dispatcher after her car had been booted.

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Confiscated marijuana and personal belongings from a man arrested in Dewey Beach after being stopped for having an open container.
(Photo: Staff photo by Joe Lamberti)

Meanwhile, in the station's processing room, a 24-year-old offender from Dover spoke to the 24-hour court in Georgetown. Dewey police found him with an open container of alcohol, about 4 grams of marijuana and two outstanding warrants. Still, he wasn't belligerent and answered the judge with "yes, your honor."

"The person committing a felony knows what the consequences are," Dempsey said. "These people that are here on vacation, the last thing they want is a road bump. They're here on a budget already."

By 2:30 a.m., the streets have cleared, save for a lone pedicab coasting down the highway. On busier nights, complaints can overwhelm the department, but boredom often sinks in on a slow Thursday.

"A lot of our night is just driving up and down this 1-mile stretch," the officer said. "Sometimes it can feel quite claustrophobic. It's our area and we just do our best to find what we need."